April 25, 2021 7:38 am
MINNEAPOLIS — Michael Perez had three hits and three RBI, helping Trevor Cahill and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2 on Saturday. Cahill (1-2) permitted one run and two hits in six innings. The right-hander retired the Twins in order in five of his innings. It was Cahill’s longest outing since he also worked six innings for the Angels at Baltimore on May 10, 2019. It also was his first win for the Pirates after two rough starts that left him with a 9.69 ERA going into the game. Minnesota lost for the 10th time in 12 games. Michael Pineda (1-1) allowed five runs, four earned, and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Jake Cave had two of the Twins’ three hits.
April 24, 2021 4:10 am
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Westminster football team won their first-ever Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship with a 27-20 win over Washington & Jefferson at home Friday night. The Titans led 14-0 early in the first quarter and 14-10 at halftime. The Presidents took their first lead of the game (17-14) with a blocked punt and recovered the ball in the end zone late in the third quarter. Westminster, however, did not flinch as junior quarterback Cole Konieczka tossed a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns (a 13-yarder to junior tight tend Bryce Sallack and a 7-yarder to senior Ian Valente) to put Westminster back in the lead for good. The Titan defense once again rose to the occasion with four forced turnovers, including a 43-yard strip-sack and fumble-return by junior Ian Barr for the game’s opening touchdown. Barr added a sack and two forced fumbles. Junior Bryce Thomas and sophomores Luca Botti and Nicholas Treloar each had an interception. Westminster had seven sacks, led by junior Brayden Thimons with a career-high four – the most sacks in a single game by a Titan since the stat was kept. Thimons also had a game- and career-high 11 tackles, followed by Thomas with a season-high eight.
April 24, 2021 4:11 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota left-hander J.A. Happ pitched no-hit ball until Jacob Stallings doubled with one out in the eighth inning, as the Twins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0. The 38-year-old Happ was removed after the hit by manager Rocco Baldelli with the two-run lead. Tyler Duffey and Taylor Rogers finished the one-hitter as the Twins won for just the second time in their last 11 games. Willians Astudillo and Jake Cave each hit their first home runs of the season for Minnesota. That spoiled another stellar start by Pittsburgh’s JT Brubaker.
April 24, 2021 4:12 am
WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Ohio (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Justin Layne has been arrested in Ohio after police say they found a loaded gun in his car during an early morning traffic stop. Willoughby Hills police say Layne was arrested on a fourth-degree felony charge of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle. Police say they stopped Layne for speeding and conducted a search after smelling marijuana and seeing loose particles scattered throughout the vehicle. That search revealed there was a loaded Glock pistol in the center console. According to the police report, Layne acknowledged the gun was his and said he forgot it was there. A Steelers spokesman says the team is aware of the incident and is still gathering information.
April 24, 2021 4:14 am
AVONDALE, La. (AP) – Tony Finau and Cameron Champ shot a 4-under 68 in alternate-shot play for a share of the Zurich Classic lead with the Norwegian duo of Viktor Hovland and Kris Ventura. Hovland and Ventura had a 69 to match Finau and Champ at 13-under 131 through 36 holes. Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose birdied seven holes, including the par-3 17th with a 12-foot putt by Rose. But they also bogeyed three holes in a four-under 68 that put them at 11 under and tied for third with Bubba Watson and Scottie Scheffler. The teams will play best ball Saturday, and close with an alternate-shot round Sunday.
April 23, 2021 3:50 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust each scored their 19th goals of the season and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the New Jersey Devils 5-1. Kasperi Kapanen returned to the lineup after missing the last 13 games with a left foot injury to score his eighth of the season and add an assist. Teddy Blueger scored a short-handed goal while Cody Ceci also scored for the Penguins. Matt Tennyson scored for New Jersey for his first goal since Dec. 15, 2015, when he played for San Jose. Aaron Dell was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on 15 shots as the Devils lost their eighth straight.
April 23, 2021 3:52 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes has aggravated his left wrist injury, delaying his potential return to the majors. The team says he tweaked the wrist while taking indoor batting practice against a high-velocity pitching machine in Detroit. The Pirates sent Hayes back to Pittsburgh for further tests. Pittsburgh called up two-time All-Star Todd Frazier to provide depth at both infield spots.
April 23, 2021 3:45 am
DETROIT (AP) – Phillip Evans kept Akil Baddoo’s drive to left field in the park in the seventh inning to help Pittsburgh escape a jam, and the Pirates scored twice in the eighth to beat the Detroit Tigers 4-2. Colin Moran and Erik Gonzalez hit RBI singles with two outs in the eighth. With the score tied at 2, Baddoo nearly put the Tigers ahead, but Evans reached above the fence in left, and the ball bounced off his glove and back into the field of play. Baddoo wound up with a double, and he didn’t end up scoring.
April 22, 2021 3:55 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen is nearing his return from a foot injury that’s sidelined him for nearly a month. Kapanen participated in a full-contact practice and could be back as early as this weekend. The Penguins have played well with Kapanen out to move within a point of Washington and the New York Islanders for first place in the East Division.
April 22, 2021 4:02 am
UNDATED (AP) – NFL owners approved eliminating overtime in preseason games and expanded selection of jersey numbers for receivers, running backs and defensive backs. The league also will allow on-field officials to get certain “objective information” from the replay official and designated members of the officiating department “when clear and obvious video evidence is present.”
The NFL is also exploring changes to the annual NFL scouting combine to improve the professional and medical experience for draft prospects. The combine in Indianapolis was canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, so prospects displayed their talents for scouts, coaches and general managers at their college pro days instead. Teams interviewed players virtually and most medical and psychological testing was done by video. About 150 draft prospects did in-person medical evaluations in Indianapolis earlier this month.
